Getting started with indoor growing

Lila Waier, owner of Grow Gear in Saint Louis, talks about what equipment you need to get started with an indoor grow. Lila has generously donated equipment and materials to help keep our GROW Lab growing strong.

Stibnite Collected from Romania

Stibnite is a sulfide mineral and the principal ore of antimony. It has a very metallic appearance with a bladed habitat, meaning the crystals form in what looks like many sharp, thin blades sticking out every which way. Stibnite is used today in the manufacture of matches, fireworks, and percussion caps. It was also used… Continue reading

Ancient Oil Lamp ca. 3rd – 4th century AD

This bronze double-wicked oil lamp from Ancient Rome features a winged dragon handle and an owl decorated lid covering the body opening. In some cases, oil lamps were a status symbol in the ancient world. Wealthy families used and displayed lamps made of metal, a higher quality material than stone, clay, shell, or glass. Many… Continue reading

Juvenile Osprey – Found in North America

This hawk is unique among North American raptors. Ospreys have a diet of live fish and the ability to dive into water to catch them – an ability that has earned osprey a separate family classification from other hawks. Ospreys also have an unusual reversible outer toe which allows them to grasp with two toes… Continue reading

Mississippian Head Pot ca. 1300-1500 AD

This distinctive and rare form of pottery is associated with the Late Mississippian Period. While their actual purpose or function is unknown, many believe the facial markings were used to indicate tattooing or piercing unique to an individual. Head pots may have been created as portraits of deceased relatives or representations of an enemy’s severed… Continue reading

Snowshoe Hare Collected from Anchorage, Alaska

What’s so special about this rabbit? With longer back legs that have more fur and larger toes than other types of rabbit, the snowshoe hare is uniquely equipped to walk on snow. In fact, these adaptations are what give the rabbit its name. Another interesting adaptation is their color-changing fur which helps them blend in… Continue reading

Quackery Device, “Electricity is Life” Machine ca. 1899-1909

“Electricity is Life” by Midland Manufacturing was one of the best-selling, coin-operated electric shock machines in the early 20th century. Produced from 1899 to 1909, it was advertised as both a strength tester and electrical therapy device. For only a penny, patrons would receive a “healthy” electrical shock to treat a variety of potential ailments.… Continue reading

Atari 2600 1982

Founded in 1972, Atari was among the first video game companies and the inventors of the first successful arcade game, Pong. Recognizing the desire for home video game systems, the Atari Video Computer System was introduced in September 1977. It came packaged with two joystick controllers, a pair of paddle controllers, and a game cartridge.… Continue reading

Scientific Illustration Reprint of 1845 original

Many people are familiar with John James Audubon and his pictorial record, The Birds of America. But did you know that he also completed a work on the mammals of North America? Audubon was a naturalist and painter who excelled as a wildlife artist depicting animals in their natural habitat. In the 1840s he began… Continue reading

Lined Seahorse Collected from Gulf of Mexico

Is it true that the seahorse is a fish?! Yes, it is, but one of the most unusual looking fish out there. Instead of scales, they have rings of bony plates that form a semi-rigid skeleton. With a horse-like head and curved tail, it looks like the knight piece in a chess set. Did you… Continue reading